


That Single Night Off

by crimsonlycoris



Category: Psycho-Pass
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-04
Updated: 2015-12-04
Packaged: 2018-05-04 22:12:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5350328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsonlycoris/pseuds/crimsonlycoris
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'Ginoza adjusted his glasses, still looking like he could not believe his words. “It’s…simple, really. Chief Kasei has arranged a small social event to take place tomorrow night. Attendance is mandatory as this concerns your Psycho Passes.” '</p>
            </blockquote>





	That Single Night Off

**Author's Note:**

> Moving old writing from my Tumblr blog onto here. This is really silly, trust me.

“Alright Division 1, listen closely,” Inspector Ginoza said one morning as he walked through the office doors, “I have a message from the Chief.”

Akane stiffened; this was it, she was getting the sack. It was a wonder she had not been fired on her first day at the job, considering the mishap with the woman, the Dominators and Kougami Shinya. She was still admittedly afraid that he held a grudge against her for paralysing him, when all he was trying to do was his job. However, if she had been given that scenario to repeat, Akane would not have done anything differently; a life had been spared, and news was that the woman was currently responding to psycho-therapy very well. Unfortunately, it was not likely the Chief would take her naïve blunders lightly. She was almost ready to pack up before Ginoza continued.

His face betrayed concentration, though confusion mingled in, and he said, “It seems the Sibyl System has judged that in order to get the maximum work profit out of the divisions, everyone needed time to relax, mingle with colleagues and mesh together psychologically.”

Oh thank goodness. She was in the clear.

“What does that mean for us?” Yayoi asked.

Ginoza adjusted his glasses, still looking like he could not believe his words. “It’s…simple, really. Chief Kasei has arranged a small social event to take place tomorrow night. Attendance is mandatory as this concerns your Psycho Passes.”

This was the first time Akane had ever heard of such a thing. Apparently, she was not the only one surprised by this situation; Yayoi’s head had tilted to the side in questioning, Shuusei had finally put down his handheld console to stare Ginoza with incredulity and Masaoka ran a hand through his hair, brow furrowed. Only Shinya had some kind of composure as he leaned back on his chair. His eyes were expectant, his expression suggesting that he was waiting for more information. Strange, Akane had presumed he would protest straight away. Shinya seemed the standoffish type whose frowning lips would cut further down his face at the thought of social situations.

Instead, his mouth curled into an amused smirk and he asked, “So what’s the catch?”

“What kind of catch can a party have?” Shuusei asked in response, “It’s t’ loosen up a little! Ever heard of having  _fun_ , Ko?”

Shinya shook his head and gestured to Ginoza with a wave of his hand. “I’m sure the Inspector has some terms and conditions to tell us.”

“Kougami is right,” the male inspector said, “There are a few things you must bear in mind; the dress code is semi-casual and understated. It is supposed to be a muted, calm gathering, no real alcohol. Also, the Enforcers will have their own venue, separate from the Inspectors.”

Before objections were voiced, Ginoza raised a hand to silence them. “You will be in the dining hall, which will be furbished for the occasion. Since the room will be full of latent criminals, sufficient security will be present to subdue any violence. If you wish to leave the hall early, you are only permitted to go to your quarters. Access to any other rooms or corridors will be restricted.”

Akane rested her chin in her hands, sighing in disappointment. She barely knew the inspectors from other divisions, and this could have been a good opportunity to get to know the Enforcers better. They were her responsibility, no, her co-workers, and perhaps if she tried to understand them, she would understand the reasons behind their actions. Her eyes went back to Shinya. This could have been one step closer to unravelling the mystery behind him.

Meanwhile, Shuusei snorted with derision. “So let’s lock up all the dogs in one pen so the owners can go have some fun? Sounds like a hoot! Come up with that rule yourself, Inspector?”

Masaoka kicked the back of the young Enforcer’s chair. “Don’t judge him too harshly. Nobuchika was delivering the Chief’s message, nothing more.”

Annoyance and turmoil flashed in Ginoza’s eyes, and without another word, he left the room. Everyone waited for the automatic doors to slide shut before discussing tomorrow night further. After a few rounds of grumbling about the segregation, the general tone soon turned to excited anticipation. Akane watched them debate with a smile – she wondered if any of them had ever had a proper night off in recent years. It was sad the answer was inevitably no, therefore any diversion must be gladly met.

“It is a shame we won’t get to see Inspector Tsunemori all dressed up,” Masaoka said in good nature, smiling at her.

She offered a small, embarrassed laugh as an answer, catching Shinya’s eyes as she spun back to her desk. He held her gaze for a good few seconds before turning to his own desk, reaching for a pack of cigarettes. It was crazy to speculate this, but was he thinking the same thing as Akane just then? Certainly felt like it. She nibbled her lip slightly; odd to think he might want to spend time getting to know her too.

***

The clock swept the hours away quickly, and suddenly it was time to head to the CID. Nerves nestled into Akane’s mind as she dusted off the flared skirt of her knee length red dress. Her ballet flats clicked on the polished floor and one hand unconsciously fiddled with the white bow in her short hair.

 Calm down, there was nothing to be afraid of. Unfortunately the motivational words did not stop her wrist from shaking as she swiped her bracelet on the scanner. The doors silently revealed a room bathed with a whisper of purple light, the floor pulsating soft colours. People held drinks, lost in idle chatter. She walked on, searching for a familiar face. Thankfully she found Ginoza near the bar quite quickly.

“You look nice,” he said, though a little stiffly.

She smiled and thanked him, expecting him to uphold the conversation. Expectations did not meet reality. Akane did not know why she thought Shinya would be the most allergic to parties; the uptight inspector was fair competition for the title.

“How has it been so far?” she inquired, attempting to break the silence.

“Okay, I guess,” he replied, “Though it’s been a little boring too.”

That was predictable; the music barely brought a sway to the hips of those who had decided to dance, probably to keep their Psycho Passes as clear as they could. Everything was there to calm the senses, not to invigorate them. Undue stress must be avoided at all costs, but no matter how many times Akane repeated these excuses to herself, she could not cure the dullness.

Bet the Enforcers were having a better time.

***

Shinya placed his elbows on the bar counter and leaned back, watching the latent criminals sing and dance through a veil of cigarette smoke. The extra security did not daunt them since their Crime Coefficients had already gone to shit, so the genuine alcohol was broken into early. Many had soon gone rosy cheeked and linked arms with another, stepping to the non-existent beat of that dreary song. Others were avidly talking, some laughing as if they had not heard joy in many moons.

For him, it felt better to watch the temporary amusement.

“Kougami!” Masaoka called to him, clutching a bottle of sake, “Help me with this will you, it’s time you joined in, just like the good ol’ days.”

Shinya smiled but refused. “Even with the alcohol it’s not going to get very entertaining for me.”

The older man looked at his colleague’s spaced out face quizzically. He ignored the confusion and took another drag of his cigarette, the smoke pouring out with his sigh. It would have been a better use of his time sorting through half-finished cases, however he could not deny it was good to see the other dogs enjoying a longer leash. The only thing that could improve this was…

“Ah! I got it!” Masaoka declared, patting Shinya’s shoulder a few times, “Just wait here, I’ve got an idea to make you less bored.”

Well that was a vague and suspicious sentence. He brushed it off with a smirk, guessing that Shuusei, who was currently trying to balance a holo-ball on his nose, would be sent over here to ‘entertain’ him.

“Give it up, old man,” he murmured.

***

Suffice to say this was the most awkward situation Akane had ever been in. Whenever she went out with her friends, though it was nothing wild, the atmosphere was always friendly and she felt open to talk. However here, sitting on a chair at the side, swirling a glass of soft drink with a vacant expression on her face, she had never felt so much of an outsider before. At this point, she did not feel like she could open her mouth to introduce herself, never mind mingle and dance.

Suddenly, her bracelet started ringing with its urgent tone. Alarmed, Akane stood and removed herself to a corner before answering it.

“Masaoka?” she whispered, “What’s the problem?”

“Ohh, no problem Missy, don’t worry yourself!” he answered with a laugh, “Relax, don’t cloud that Psycho Pass of yours.”

Her eyebrows knitted together and she asked, “What’s the reason for the call then?”

“Are you alone right now?”

She shook her head and indicated she would be in one minute. Keeping an eye on the conversing Ginoza, she slipped out of the room into the corridor.

“Okay, now I am. What’s the matter?”

“Why does something have to be the matter?”

“Masaoka,” she said exasperatedly, “You were only meant to contact us tonight in an emergency!”

“This is an emergency of sorts!” he responded with an affronted face, “Meet me at the balcony near the dining hall, the one nearest to our quarters. I have something I need to discuss with you there, face to face.”

The call was cut, and Akane ran a worried hand through her hair. That balcony had the least amount of camera coverage, she knew it; what was the topic he wished to discussed? Finally, with great reluctance, she turned and walked briskly to the location.

The balcony was not too far away and she made it in less than five minutes. Now the only thing missing was…Masaoka.

The dark figure leaning out on the rail belonged to a taller man, and if Akane was not mistaken, the twirl of smoke belonged to a Kougami Shinya. He turned around sharply, ready to give any assailant a glowering look and three broken teeth. Rather, he was granted the view of Tsunemori Akane looking very startled. His narrow eyes widened as he straightened up. She was anxiously tapping the front of her left foot behind her right, the deliberation over her next words clear on her face.

“Um…so do you know where Masaoka is?” she eventually asked, “He told me to meet him at this balcony.”

“I was told the same thing,” he replied, bending down to pick up a bottle and two glasses off the floor, “Seems like we were both played. But, seen as we’re here, care for a proper drink?”

She should have refused, turned around and headed back to her party. Yes, she _should have_ , but if Akane looked at it  _technically_ , she was not breaking any rules. In fact, she was an Inspector and he was an Enforcer who must be supervised by the senior rank. Doubts were shoved aside as she walked out onto the balcony, agreeing to just a drop.

A drop rapidly transformed into five or six glasses, and the conversation elevated from timid one-liners to teary eyed laughter and bad jokes. Whilst Akane was stone cold sober throughout all this, the alcohol had taken an evident grip on Shinya. His cheeks were flushed, and the smile which normally did not stray past ‘polite’ mode (and occasionally went into ‘manic’ mode, but she did not want to think about that) was big and permanently plastered on his face. They sat on the floor, Akane on top of Shinya’s jacket which he had silently relinquished before.

“Hey Tsunemori,” he said for about the twentieth time, “What bone will a dog never eat?”

She rolled her eyes, grinning as she sighed. “What?”

“A trombone!” he exclaimed before chuckling at his own answer.

Despite her previous groans and protests in response to his humour, she laughed anyway. This may not be the Kougami Shinya she wanted to understand, yet this was a side she never thought existed. Underneath the dogmatic routines, the chain smoking, the maniacal edge he sometimes got during a case or a chase, was a regular guy who could not tell jokes. He stopped laughing abruptly and looked intently like Akane. She could feel her cheeks redden under his grey eyed stare.

“What is it?” she probed.

“Dance with me.”

“What?”

Shinya got up, not entirely gracefully, and extended his hand. After a touch of reluctance she took it, and was easily lifted to her feet. He softly interlocked his fingers with hers, curling an arm around her waist. Even when tipsy, he took care not to impose on her. Everything felt natural, like how the pages of a closing book fall into place without any effort at all. With no music available, they made up the beat, and danced - if you could class it as dancing. Akane stepped on Shinya’s feet and vice versa, their arms got too tangled when attempting a twirl and it devolved to swaying together as if they were children playing. The pair looked at each other, embarrassed, but continued to try regaining coordination.

“This didn’t go how I thought it would,” Shinya said. His natural pallor was returning a little, and he looked rueful.

Akane smiled gently and stepped nearer to him. “Maybe not, however it has be—oops!”

As she had stepped, her foot caught Shinya’s, cancelling whatever steadiness the couple had maintained. They came crashing down, just about catching themselves before anything serious could happen. Yet, Shinya had managed to graze the front of his face against the floor. Akane instantly sat up, concerned for the Enforcer’s health.

“Are you okay?” she questioned him, cupping her hands around his face and twisting it this way and that to examine it.

Shinya remained silent, allowing her to check for deep cuts. Apart from a few red scratches, he was fine. She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. Before letting go, she gently kissed his forehead, then his nose. His skin was warm and a little sweaty under her lips, however it swiftly heated up as she drew away. Akane could feel her own cheeks burning; her heart was battering in her ribcage like she had run a marathon.

Using the rail, she got up and stammered, “M-mother used to do that when I g-got hurt, it’s supposed t-to help…a-ah! Ginoza will be have been looking for me a-all this time! I should go…”

She had not even taken one step forward when Shinya, who had dusted himself off in the midst of her ramblings, grabbed her hand. In one fluid motion, he spun her close enough to plant a kiss on her cheek. Returning the favour was sweet indeed.

Akane turned beetroot, the colour creeping down her neck as she finally succeeded in leaving, muttered incoherent, flustered words.

Shinya sat back down once she had departed, wiping his brow and stretching to reclaim his jacket. Without company, he realised the cold night chill that had descended on the balcony. Resting his head on the bars of the rail, he gave the coal black sky a small smirk.

“Masaoka, you sly bastard.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed, please leave a kudos and/or comment if you did!


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